Taking care of yourself at the age of 50 or above is highly important to maintaining your mental and physical health. When you grow in age, the simple flu or common cold may progress and bring many complications. This includes other secondary infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infection, or a sinus infection. If you get a chronic condition such as diabetes or asthma, a respiratory illness may make these worse. 

Because of this, it is highly important to make more healthy choices to boost your immune system and reduce the likelihood of being sick. Most people also opt to take hospice care for their older years to have complete care available for their well-being at their house.

To strengthen your immune system and also maintain your physical health, you have to take care of yourself in the following ways:

1.    Get physically active:

Physical activity is the immune system booster. The more you are active physically, the more your boy will fight infections and inflammation. The activity you take in shouldn’t be that strenuous and can be low impact exercises too. You may consider biking, swimming, walking, or other lower impact aerobics.

If you can fully engage in moderate exercises for around 20 to 30 minutes every day, reach a suggested 150 minutes a week. You can modify your routine to find out what is best for you. 

2.     Take supplements when needed:

Some supplements help in supporting your immune system. Before taking supplements, always ask your doctor if these are safe, mainly if you take the prescribed medications. A few supplements they might suggest include vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6. Take supplements or multivitamins as suggested to boost the immune system. 

3.     Consume a healthier diet:

Diets rich in fruits, lean meats, and vegetables also give your immune system protection against harmful viruses and different bacteria that cause diseases. Fruits and vegetables are a very good source of antioxidants. They protect your cells from damage and also keep your body healthier. 

4.     Wash your hands regularly:

Washing your hands regularly is one other way to stay healthy throughout the year. Viruses may live on surfaces for over 24 hours. It is possible to get ill if you touch a surface covered and contaminate your hands and touch your face. Wash your hands using soapy water and for at least 20 seconds. Don’t touch your face, nose, and mouth with your hands. 

5.     Learn how you can manage stress:

Chronic stress boosts the production of the stress hormone ‘Cortisol’ in your body. Having too much cortisol may affect different functions in your body also including your immune system. To lower stress, you should increase physical activity, have a lot of sleep, explore fun activities, etc. 

These are some ways of how to stay healthy in your ’60s, and you can practice them at home and build strength. Having physical therapy, palliative care, and hospice by River Valley Home Health and Hospice will be the best choice for you at this age.